Malefica, demons and wonders of the BCUL
Witchcraft trials have been the subject of academic study at the UNIL for several decades, and are now attracting renewed interest from the general public. In this context, the BCUL has a heritage that deserves to be (re-)discovered.
A series of articles highlighting the treatises on witch-hunting and demonology that haunt the Réserve précieuse. We look at the material history of these works, and in particular at how they found their way into the BCUL’s repositories. The first article focuses on Christianity’s most famous text on the subject, the Malleus maleficarum.
The Malleus maleficarum and its time
From the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 18th century, a significant production of demonological writings developed in Europe. It took place in a changing historical context.
For several centuries, in the countryside as well as in the cities, the occult imaginary was an integral part of the social landscape. From the 13th century onwards, shaken by the protest movements that challenged it, the Church acquired extensive powers of persecution against minorities and all forms of marginality. After the Cathars, Waldensians and Jews, it added witches and sorcerers to its list of criminals against the faith. Eventually, a belief emerged that witchcraft, as a material reality, represented a major danger to be eradicated. Those accused of witchcraft were prosecuted by the Inquisition, and later by secular judges. The witch-hunt became a mass phenomenon, leading to the execution of tens of thousands of individuals.
In the exercise of their functions, the ecclesiastical and judicial powers referred to the writings of the demonologists who abounded at the end of the 15th century. A break with medieval religious and philosophical discourse was emerging and spreading rapidly, despite the diversity of cultural and ideological contexts.
A sum of demonology and its authors
Following in the footsteps of the great scholastic treatises, the Malleus maleficarum(Witches’ Hammer) was written at the dawn of the printing press. It was the first treatise on demonology to go into mass distribution. A mosaic of all previous accumulated knowledge of witchcraft, theological writings and legal proceedings, the book is often referred to as the bestseller of its time. The number of copies in circulation across Europe is estimated at around 30,000. Written in 1486 and published the following year, it wasreprinted 34 times until 1669, testifying to its aura and considerable influence.
Both Dominicans, the authors Henry Institoris and Jacques Sprenger have served as inquisitors. The former, who was born in Alsace and trained as a theologian, is considered the main contributor to the text. The second, a native of the Basel region, an academic and a member of the clergy, worked mainly in the Rhine valley.
Purpose and originality of the text
This work marks a turning point in the landscape of scholarly demonology. Aimed at lay and religious theologians, preachers and magistrates, the Malleus aims to convince its readership intellectually and emotionally. The text is also intended as a manual for effective justice in the fight against demonic heresy. While the framework of the work, which follows the codes of medieval treatises, is nothing new, its originality lies in the message it delivers. A world facing an imminent, organized and considerable threat that must be fought by all means, in which it is no longer possible to doubt the physical existence of demons.
If you’re interested in this subject, don’t miss the rest of this article, which will be published shortly. We’ll be presenting a copy of the Malleus maleficarum from 1494 in the BCUL’s Precious Reserve.
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[1] Viallet, Ludovic. The great witch-hunt: history of repression: 15th-18th centuries.. Armand Colin, 2022, p. 5.
[2] Henry Institoris & Jacques Sprenger, The witches’ hammer: Malleus maleficarumtranslated from Latin and preceded by L’inquisiteur et ses sorcières by Amand Danet, ed. Jérôme Millon, Grenoble, 2017, pp. 12.
[3] Jacques-Lefèvre, Nicole. History of demonic witchcraft: the major reference texts. Honoré Champion Éditeur, 2020, p. 58.
[4] Sophie Houdard, Les sciences du diable: quatre discours sur la sorcellerieParis: Cerf, 1992, p. 30.
